Biohydrogen: Next generation fuel

Abstract

Concern over sustainability of fossil fuel use is raised due to depleting fuel resources and emitting greenhouse gases (GHGs) from it. Among many alternative energy sources, biofuels, natural gas, hydrogen, and synthesis gas (syngas) emerge as four strategically important sustainable energy sources. As hydrogen gas is renewable, it does not evolve GHGs, and releases large amount of energy in combustion of unit weight and hydrogen can also be easily converted into electricity by fuel cell. It could be a strong candidate for future alternate energy resource. Biological H2 production delivers clean H2 in sustainable manner with simple technology and more attractive potential than the current chemical production of H2. Although present industrial hydrogen production system is based on chemical processing units, research trend on biohydrogen promises a deafening potential of industrial biohydrogen production in the near future.